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Goons won't stop me from assisting the vulnerable - Donya Toto

• At least one person was injured as skirmishes disrupted her charity event in South Mugirango on Monday.

Doris Donya

Kisii Woman Representative Donya Toto. File photo

At least two suspects are in police custody following chaos that rocked a charity function hosted by Kisii Woman Representative Donya Toto in South Mugirango.

Etago Sub-County Police Chief Laban Omolo said they are still tracking more other suspects.

The suspects are linked to the Monday morning mayhem which disrupted Ms Toto's function where she was donating wheelchairs to the people living with disabilities (PLWDs) at Nyakeyo Primary School grounds.

One person sustained an arrow injury to the head.

"One of the two in custody was armed with bows and arrows. Both will be arraigned and charged for causing disturbances," Mr Omolo said.

He said they had received intelligence of a possible raid by thugs at the function early and thus deployed officers to keep vigil.

The violence sent the attendees, among them the PLWDs, scampering for safety.

At least 90 PLWDs were evacuated.

Ms Toto has since castigated the incident even as she pressed security agencies to go for the merchants and financiers of violence.

She, however, vowed not back down from reaching out to the vulnerable even in the face of unrelenting attacks on her by goons.

"I am now accustomed to these attacks and the violence directed at me, but I am strong enough to fight and continue with my work. It is a pity that some people can be this audacious as to cause mayhem at a function meant for the very vulnerable in society," Ms Toto told journalists.

She said she hopes more other goons would be arrested and brought to book.

"We all need to know who is this pioneering violence in Kisii. People are no longer feeling safer because of goonism in the county," she said.

Families of those suffering various deformities that had turned up to receive wheelchairs also condemned the Monday violence.

Mr Peter Anyega, who brought his mum who is living with a disability to receive a wheelchair, described the attack as barbaric.

The Chairman for the PLWDs in Tabaka Ward Reuben Migiro, and who joined Ms Toto at the function, also condemned the incident.

Mr Migiro termed the incident as unfortunate, adding that it was immoral for people to deploy goons at a function meant for the very vulnerable in society.

"The function was only meant to empower the PLWDs. Whoever did this should be ashamed of themselves," said the former education official who also lives with a disability.

He said it was not their choice that they were disabled.

"We ask that those who were hired to orchestrate such mayhem to desist," he stated.

Ms Esther Moraa who had brought her child to also get a wheelchair also turned home empty-handed following the violence.

She said she was forced to run with the child on her back as chaos spread inside the school playing grounds.

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